5 Steps To Perfecting Guitar Practice

There are three questions I'm most frequently asked by both aspiring and professional musicians:

• How much do you practice?
• How much should I be practicing?
• I’m not sure what to practice—what should I be practicing?

Each one of these questions often leads to a larger discussion about how many hours one should be practicing each day. There's a folkloric, almost mythical emphasis on practicing 6, 8, or even 10 hours a day to truly become a master musician. Several years ago, I shared my own experience of putting in many practice hours over a 6-year period in my life—to summarize this video, it's fair to say that achieving proficiency on a musical instrument typically requires focused daily practice over the course of several years.

Instead of reiterating information you may have already heard about my own experience with extensive practice, I'd prefer to present a list of five practice considerations that can help focus your musical vision and address our three introductory questions—particularly the question of how much practice you may need to achieve your musical vision.

 

 

Practice consideration #1: What is my end goal as a musician?

If you're considering putting in long practice hours every day, it's important to think about your ultimate goal as a musician. For example, if you're a guitarist who aims to focus primarily on writing, recording, and performing your own original music—you will likely cultivate a different skill set than one who plans to pursue a lifetime of Freddie Green-style big band comping (an increasingly uncommon pursuit, but musically valid nonetheless).

Rather than devolving into a lackluster 'where do you see yourself in five years?' discussion, the aim is to develop a personal long-term vision for your life in music. Consider the creative goals that resonate with you, and then assess the effort required to bring these goals to fruition.

Additionally, it's important to remember that your musical goals can change or evolve as you continue on your path. In my experience, it's helpful to avoid inflexibility—always try to stay open to new creative ideas.

Practice consideration #2: Is there a specific style that I’m trying to master?

When I was developing many of the most vital concepts in my playing, particularly during my teenage years, I was intent on mastering jazz and jazz-related improvisational language on guitar. A key factor in developing this language was cultivating an in-depth understanding of scales and arpeggios on the guitar, which I discuss in great depth in How To Practice Volumes 1 & 2.

The How To Practice Bundle, available at Ben's Guitar Club

While scales and arpeggios are typically vital components of numerous styles of music, a Jazz-influenced improvisational approach demanded that I demonstrate a strong command of these materials in every conceivable position on the guitar neck with almost any conceivable fingering.

Determining the musical style (or styles) that appeal to you the most can greatly inform what to practice and how much practice may be necessary.

Practice consideration #3: Am I trying to develop my own individual sound/style?

One of the great realizations I had was that no two sets of hands sound the same on the guitar—your touch is unique, so why not capitalize on that inherent uniqueness and cultivate your own personal style?

This idea occurred to me after I went through several stages of attempting to emulate the styles of my guitar heroes during my formative years. Paradoxically, I realized that in trying to imitate others, I already sounded like myself—albeit an undeveloped version of myself.

Developing an identifiable style typically takes years of dedication, but the challenge of isolating ideas and concepts that are uniquely yours can be incredibly rewarding.

 

 

Practice consideration #4: How can I balance my time between practicing/playing?

Unless you plan on focusing solely on solo performance, you will most likely spend a lot of time playing in group settings with various musicians, either as a hired player or a bandleader. In my opinion, it’s particularly important not to neglect gaining as much experience as possible playing with other musicians—especially drummers and bass players. Rehearsals, live performances, and studio recordings are all valuable settings that will help develop your playing.

"Ace Of Hearts" from my album ACE, performed in a group setting

I see time spent playing with other musicians as distinct from personal practice. Personal practice is typically a solitary activity where you prepare all the necessary elements for performance over an extended period of time. By contrast, playing with musicians—whether in rehearsals, recording sessions, sound checks, or any other performance-related context—must be experienced in real time.

You will need to manage your time efficiently to balance the two disparate yet interconnected worlds of practice and performance.

Practice consideration #5: How am I going to schedule enough time to practice every day?

The answer to this question is very personal. Of course, It depends on the events occurring in your life, your responsibilities, and how many hours you can realistically allocate to practice on a daily basis.

However, I believe the most important element is consistency. Even as little as 30 minutes of practice daily is likely to be more beneficial than sporadic periods of practice where the guitar is left untouched for days on end.

 

 

Final question: So how much should I be practicing?

Is the folkloric, mythical emphasis on practicing 6, 8, or even 10 hours a day true? Well, maybe...

After considering everything we’ve discussed so far, the exact number of practice hours you should aim for each day depends on your personal goals. While I can’t provide a personalized recommendation on how much you should practice, dedication to your instrument is possibly the most important part of your development as a musician. Conversely, it is also wise not to overpractice, which I’ve discussed in considerable depth in this video.

Feel free to leave a comment and let me know what has worked for you in terms of developing a practice routine and improving your playing.

Keep on shredding,

Ben.